Willemstad by e-scooter
Willemstad is too big to walk entirely and too small to enjoy driving. An electric scooter sits exactly in between, and it gets you into streets a car does not.
1 min read Curaçao
Central Willemstad is two districts either side of a harbour, with neighbourhoods around them that are just too far to stroll to. In a car you spend your time looking for parking in streets that were not built for it. On an electric scooter you go from Punda to Otrobanda to the murals without noticing the distance.
How it works
You hire by the hour or the half day. The scooters are the wide, low sort with a seat for two, not stand-up steps: you sit rather than stand, which is easier on uneven cobbles. They are not fast, which is exactly right for the old town.
What to take in
A sensible loop: start in Punda, cross the Queen Emma Bridge into Otrobanda, ride through the district for the murals, then back along the Rif Fort to the water. If you want more, Pietermaai and the Waaigat are close by.
What to watch for
Curaçao drives on the right. The main roads are fine, but in the old districts the streets are narrow and the kerbs high. Sunscreen is not optional: you are in the sun longer than you think, and the breeze means you do not feel it.
If you would rather not work out the route yourself, there is a guided tour from the resort. It rides the route and tells you what you are looking at.
Also worth reading
Beaches and bays
Grote Knip: the beach from the postcards
White sand, water in three shades of blue and a cliff to jump off. Grote Knip is the beach on every photo of Curaçao, and the drive is worth it.
Beaches and bays
Swimming with sea turtles at Playa Piskado
A working fishing harbour where green sea turtles come for what is left of the catch. No tour, no fence, no entry fee.
Things to do
Shete Boka: the rough side of Curaçao
Seven bays on the north coast where the ocean arrives with force. Not swimming water, but the most striking stretch of coast on the island.
